What should IPBES work on? Submit your ideas for the work programme | deadline 31.05.2025

by Franziska Fischer Tue, 03/18/2025 - 13:58
Red squirrel holding a nut it has gathered

Stakeholders are invited to submit their ideas for the IPBES work programme: put forward your inputs and suggestions by 31 May 2025.

Ideas are welcomed from all relevant stakeholders, including for example other intergovernmental organisations, international and regional scientific organisations, environment trust funds, NGOs, indigenous peoples and local communities, and the private sector. Joint submissions are encouraged.

 

What is the IPBES work programme?

The IPBES work programme outlines the different activities of the platform. It is decided by the 147 member states. It is also a "rolling" work programme, which means that new components can be added. The current objectives are:

  • Assessing knowledge: producing the reports that IPBES is best-known for.
     
  • Building capacity: supporting learning, engagement, and access to expertise and information for individuals and institutions.
     
  • Strengthening the knowledge foundations: working with knowledge and data at IPBES, including Indigenous and local knowledge.
     
  • Supporting policy: identifying, developing and promoting policy instruments, tools and methodologies, as well as scenarios and models.
     
  • Communicating and engaging: involving actively both governments and further stakeholders.
     
  • Improving the effectiveness of IPBES: with internal and external reviews, including stakeholder surveys.

>> See the IPBES work programme

 

How do I submit my ideas for the work programme?

  1. You will be asked some questions about your input or suggestion that you might want to think about in advance. They are listed below.
     
  2. Log in to the IPBES website. If you don't have an account yet, you can create an account for free.
     
  3. Fill in the form for inputs and suggestions by 31 May 2025.

 

Questions to consider

  • How is your input or suggestion relevant to IPBES? Consider the objectives, functions and work programme of IPBES summarised above.
     
  • How urgent is your input or suggestion and why?
     
  • How it is relevant in addressing specific policies or processes? Remember, IPBES is a science–policy platform.
     
  • What is the geographic scope, i.e., is it relevant globally or for specific locations? What issues does your input or suggestion cover?
     
  • How complex are the issues that you want to address?
     
  • What previous work has been done on the topic and what is being done now? What evidence do you have for gaps, like for example missing information or tools? Why is IPBES best suited to take action?
     
  • What scientific literature and expertise is there available to IPBES?
     
  • How big is the potential for impact? Who will benefit from taking action on your input or suggestion?
     
  • What financial and human resources does your input or suggestion require? And how long would the action take?
     
  • If you are submitting multiple requests, could you prioritise them?
     
  • Would you like to provide any further relevant information? You may also include attachments

>> See the offical call (EM/2025/08)

 

What will happen with my submission?

  • The IPBES Secretariat will collect all inputs and suggestions from stakeholders alongside the requests made by member states. They will be made available on the IPBES website.
     
  • The Multidisciplinary Expert Panel and the Bureau will consider and prioritise the submissions. They often summarise or merge multiple inputs or suggestions. If they decide that they require additional scoping to prioritise requests, they may also propose that to the IPBES Plenary.
     
  • The IPBES Plenary will consider a report by the Multidisciplinary Expert Panel and the Bureau to decide on the future work programme.
     

>> IPBES Procedure for receiving and prioritizing requests put to the Platform (Decision IPBES/1/3)

 

Photo by Jarry: Red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) holding a nut it has collected. This species is widespread in Eurasia, however the population is under pressure from the invasive eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) that was introduced from North America. Learn more about invasive alien species in the 2023 IPBES assessment. This image is available for free as a background for your video conferences from the IPBES Virtual Backgrounds 2025.